# US 2025/0085304 A1 · Sample conveying device and sample conveying method

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- Number: US 2025/0085304 A1
- Document ID: US20250085304A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/580,133
- Filed: 2022-05-30
- Published: 2025-03-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-24
- Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Inventors: Shotaro HOMMA; Kuniaki ONIZAWA; Yuichiro SHIGA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250085304A1

## CPC

- B65G 54/02: electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
- G01N 35/026: {having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes}
- G01N 35/0092: {Scheduling}
- G01N 35/04: Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)}
- G01N 2035/00891: {Displaying information to the operator}
- G01N 2035/0406: {Individual bottles or tubes}
- G01N 2035/0477: {Magnetic}
- G01N 2035/0491: {Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control}
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A sample conveying device estimates a factor causing a decrease in a conveyance speed of a sample. The sample conveying device includes a conveying container that includes a magnet or magnetic material and contains a sample, a conveyance unit in which a plurality of magnetic poles, each of which includes a core and a coil, are arranged. The conveying container is moved on a conveying surface. A control unit controls a voltage applied to the plurality of magnetic poles, detects a position of the conveying container on the conveying surface, and controls movement of the conveying container. The control unit detects an amplitude of a current flowing through the coil of each of the plurality of magnetic poles when the conveying container approaches each of the plurality of the magnetic poles, and determines deterioration of the conveying surface based on the detected amplitude of the current.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sample conveying device comprising:
a conveying container that includes a magnet or magnetic material and contains a sample;
a conveyance unit in which a plurality of magnetic poles, each of which includes a core and a coil, are arranged and the conveying container is moved on a conveying surface; and
a control unit that controls a voltage applied to the plurality of magnetic poles, detects a position of the conveying container on the conveying surface, and controls movement of the conveying container, wherein
the control unit detects an amplitude of a current flowing through the coil of each of the plurality of magnetic poles when the conveying container approaches each of the plurality of the magnetic poles, and determines whether a value of the amplitude of the current at the timing when position detection of the conveying container is started is within a threshold and determines deterioration of whether there is a scrape on the conveying surface.

### Claim 2

(canceled)

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sample conveying device according to claim 1, wherein
the control unit includes an operation unit that calculates an estimated conveyance time according to a conveyance source, conveyance destination, conveyance path, and conveyance distance of the conveying container of the conveyance unit, and a moving time calculation unit that acquires the time required for an actual conveyance of the conveying container, and
the operation unit determines whether the conveying surface is deteriorated, and when it is determined that the conveying surface is deteriorated, determines that the conveying surface, where it determined that there is the deterioration, is not usable, and excludes the conveying surface from conveyance paths of the conveying container, thereby excluding the magnetic pole arranged at a position corresponding to the conveying surface, where it determined that there is the deterioration, and the magnetic pole arranged upstream thereof from the conveyance path of the conveying container.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sample conveying device according to claim 1, wherein
the control unit includes an operation unit that calculates an estimated conveyance time according to a conveyance source, conveyance destination, conveyance path, and conveyance distance of the conveying container of the conveyance unit, a moving time calculation unit that acquires the time required for an actual conveyance of the conveying container, and a display unit, and
the operation unit determines deterioration of the conveying surface based on the amplitude of the detected current, and when it is determined that the conveying surface is not deteriorated, determines whether conveyance paths for which the moving time is longer than the estimated conveyance time include a conveyance path that cannot be excluded from the conveyance path for conveying the conveying container, and when it is determined that the conveyance path that cannot be excluded is included, displays on the display unit that the conveyance path cannot be excluded.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The sample conveying device according to claim 3, further comprising:
a display unit, wherein
the operation unit calculates the conveyance path of the conveying container by excluding the conveyance path, where it determined that there is the deterioration, calculates a processing capacity of the conveying container according to the calculated conveyance path, determines whether the calculated processing capacity is equal to or higher than a threshold, and when it is determined that the processing capacity is equal to or higher than the threshold, displays on the display unit that the conveyance path is to be changed, and when it is determined that the processing capacity is less than the threshold, displays on the display unit that an upper surface of the conveying surface of the conveyance path, where it determined that there is the deterioration, is to be replaced.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The sample conveying device according to claim 4, wherein
the operation unit determines deterioration of the conveying surface based on the amplitude of the detected current, and when it is determined that the conveying surface is not deteriorated, determines whether the conveyance paths for which the moving time is longer than the estimated conveyance time include the conveyance path that cannot be excluded from the conveyance path for conveying the conveying container, and when it is determined that the conveyance path that cannot be excluded is not included, determines that abnormality is due to the presence of an obstacle on the conveying surface, and displays on the display unit that the conveyance path is to be changed.

### Claim 7

A sample conveying method including a conveying container that includes a magnet or magnetic material and contains a sample, and a conveyance unit in which a plurality of magnetic poles, each of which includes a core and a coil, are arranged and the conveying container is moved on a conveying surface, controlling a voltage applied to the plurality of magnetic poles, detecting a position of the conveying container on the conveying surface, and controlling movement of the conveying container, the method comprising:
detecting an amplitude of a current flowing through the coil of each of the plurality of magnetic poles when the conveying container approaches each of the plurality of the magnetic poles; and
determining whether a value of the amplitude of the current at the timing when position detection of the conveying container is started is within a threshold and determining deterioration of whether there is a scrape on the conveying surface.

### Claim 8

(canceled)

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The sample conveying method according to claim 7, wherein
it is determined whether the conveying surface is deteriorated, and when it is determined that the conveying surface is deteriorated, it is determined that the conveying surface, where it determined that there is the deterioration, is not usable, and the conveying surface is excluded from conveyance paths of the conveying container, thereby excluding the magnetic pole arranged at a position corresponding to the conveying surface determined to be deteriorated and the magnetic pole arranged upstream thereof from the conveyance path of the conveying container.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The sample conveying method according to claim 7, wherein
deterioration of the conveying surface is determined based on the amplitude of the detected current, and when it is determined that the conveying surface is not deteriorated, it is determined whether conveyance paths for which the moving time is longer than the estimated conveyance time include a conveyance path that cannot be excluded from the conveyance path for conveying the conveying container, and when it is determined that the conveyance path that cannot be excluded is included, a fact that the conveyance path cannot be excluded is displayed on the display unit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The sample conveying method according to claim 9, wherein
the conveyance path of the conveying container by excluding the conveyance path, where it determined that there is the deterioration, is calculated, a processing capacity of the conveying container according to the calculated conveyance path is calculated, it is determined whether the calculated processing capacity is equal to or higher than a threshold, and when it is determined that the processing capacity is equal to or higher than the threshold, a fact that the conveyance path is to be changed is displayed on the display unit, and when it is determined that the processing capacity is less than the threshold, a fact that an upper surface of the conveying surface of the conveyance path, where it determined that there is the deterioration, is to be replaced is displayed on the display unit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The sample conveying method according to claim 10, wherein
deterioration of the conveying surface is determined based on the amplitude of the detected current, and when it is determined that the conveying surface is not deteriorated, it is determined whether the conveyance paths for which the moving time is longer than the estimated conveyance time include a conveyance path that cannot be excluded from the conveyance path for conveying the conveying container, and when it is determined that the conveyance path that cannot be excluded is not included, it is determined that abnormality is due to the presence of an obstacle on the conveying surface, and a fact that the conveyance path is to be changed is displayed on the display unit.